Best Hiking Backpacks for women

Ladies! You need a backpack designed for women. Buying a woman's backpack can dramatically improve your hiking experience.

There are so many hiking backpacks in the stores that picking a backpack can be confusing.Many people don't think carefully about their choice of backpack, picking on price, color, on a whim, or in a rush.The right backpack is essential for comfortable hiking, and for women, the right backpack is a backpack specifically designed for the female frame.Take advantage of my first hand experiences to buy the very best hiking backpack .

Ladies- if you go hiking you need a backpack designed for women

Don't grab any old bag. A woman's backpack is what you need.

Love to hike but hate your backpack? Run a check- are you wearing a backpack designed for women, or just a unisex backpack?

I live in a hiking area, England's Lake District. I get out hiking as often as possible, and even on a fairly short walk I take my backpack.The pack I take is a lightweight bag known as a daypack. It's called a daypack as it carries everything you need for a whole day. You can actually carry enough in a daypack for a few days hiking staying in hostels, but they are too small for long camping ortrekking expeditions.

The weather in the Lake District is very changeable, so you nearly always need to carry extra jumpers, waterproofs, hats and gloves.I also need my camera, my lip slave, some moisture cream, a bottle of water,sandwiches, some chewing gum, sun cream......in fact, I need to take a bag if I'm walking for more than a few hours.

I could put all these things is my husband's backpack- he usually hikes with me. You know what happens though? If I ask him to stop and put my jacket in his sack, he sighs a bit. Then when I ask him to stop and let me have some water, he sighs a bit more. Then when I ask him to stop and let me get my camera from his bag.... well, you can imagine!

I used to ask my husband to carry my hiking stuff because my backpack was so uncomfortable. I'd had my backpack for years, and, to be honest, it didn't fit me. The straps were too wide set and kept slipping off my shoulders. The frame was uncomfortable and rubbed on my back.

One great day I decided to visit one of the many hiking stores in Ambleside, 2 miles down the road from my home, and I tried on a selection of women's backpacks. I was amazed. The women's rucksacks were so light and comfortable, and fitted my frame beautifully.You know that men and women are different shapes, so it's logical that women need backpacks designed for women.

Here I'll tell you what to look for when picking a lightweight daysack, and show you my top choices.

What are the features to look for in a backpack for women?

A great backpack must be light and comfortable storage pockets.

Here are the points I look for in a great backpack or daysack.

The backpack must be light.

The straps must be padded and must not slip off my shoulders.

I want lots of pockets on the outside of the bag for easy access to hat, water, camera..

I like a firm waist belt option.This takes the weight off the shoulders

I like to have the option of a sternum strap to hold the shoulder straps firmly

I like to have a ventilated back panel with wicking fabric - sweaty backs are bad news.

All these features are available in the Kelty woman's daypack that I've picked out here.Kelty have been making hiking equipment since 1952, and 60 years of experience have gone into this excellent women's daysack. The price is good too.

Are you a really serious hiker? Here are tips from an expert for a 3 day hike.

Packing for a 3 day hike is a skill. Find some great tips here from an expert.

Readers in the UK, here's my choice of rucksack for women

I love Berghaus , made in Britain, for all hiking equipment

I really don't need a new back pack, but if I did, I would be tempted to buy this one. Made in the UK by Berghaus, one of my favorite brands, this back pack comes in purple. Availanle on Amazon.co.uk via the link below.

This is the new 2015 pack, just out. Already a user has given a 5 * review.

What socks are you wearing?

Make sure that you are wearing hiking socks designed for women.

Not all socks are the same. In fact,when you begin to look into the topic of hiking socks you'll find there's a huge choice of fabric, sock height, and thickness, so you can pick the hiking sock for the conditions. I have winter hiking socks to keep my feet warm, and summer walking socks to keep my feet cool.

The number one essential though, is that you must buy walking socks specifically designed for women.

A good pair of hiking socks can be the difference between pain or pleasure for your feet.